03/01/2024
For many organisations working with an IT company in Manchester, Microsoft 365 is treated primarily as an email platform rather than a fully configured modern workplace environment.
The platform now serves roughly 345 million paid subscribers worldwide, with commercial seat growth of 6% year on year. Those numbers are growing rapidly because Microsoft has built a modern workplace platform bundling productivity, security, and collaboration into a single subscription. But most organisations are barely scratching the surface.
More Than Office Apps on a Monthly Bill
When Microsoft rebranded Office 365 to Microsoft 365 in 2020, it wasn’t just a name change. It signalled a shift from desktop applications to an integrated cloud platform. The core apps remain, but sitting alongside them are tools many IT teams and business owners haven’t configured: SharePoint for document management, Power Automate for workflow automation, Intune for device management, Entra ID for identity security, and Microsoft Defender for threat protection.
A common pattern among UK businesses is investing in Microsoft licences for email while continuing to pay for separate third-party tools that duplicate functionality already included. As a CFOtech UK analysis noted, organisations end up layering redundant tools and increasing their IT burden rather than reducing it. For a business with 50 to 300 employees, that redundancy adds up quickly.
Where the Real Value Sits
Modern Workplace consists of three things working together: collaboration, security, and management – all from one platform.
Collaboration Beyond Email
Microsoft Teams now has over 360 million monthly active users, but many businesses still treat it as a video call tool. Combined with SharePoint and OneDrive, it becomes the central hub for finding, sharing, and co-authoring documents – replacing the scattered mix of email attachments and shared drives that still plagues many organisations.
Security Built In, Not Bolted On
Microsoft continues to integrate advanced security capabilities into Business Premium subscriptions, including enhanced phishing and malware protection. For businesses in Manchester and across the North West handling sensitive client data, multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and identity management through Entra ID are all available within the subscription.
Device and Endpoint Management
With hybrid work now standard across most UK industries, managing what devices connect to company data is no longer optional. Microsoft Intune, included in Business Premium and Enterprise plans, allows IT teams to enforce security policies on company-owned and personal devices. For businesses without dedicated IT support, these capabilities often go entirely unconfigured.
The Copilot Question
No discussion of Microsoft 365 in 2025 is complete without Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant now embedded across the suite. Early adoption data suggests significant productivity gains for many organisations. But Copilot’s effectiveness depends entirely on what’s underneath it. If your SharePoint is disorganised, your permissions are inconsistent, and your data isn’t structured, Copilot will reflect that chaos back at you. Getting the foundations right – clean data, proper access controls, well-structured document libraries – is the prerequisite, not the afterthought.
Why Deployment and Support Matter More Than the Software
Microsoft 365 is powerful, but it’s not self-configuring. The difference between a business that treats it as an email subscription and one running a genuine modern workplace usually comes down to setup and ongoing management. Licence selection alone is complex. Business Basic, Standard, Premium, E3, E5, and frontline worker plans all include different tools and security features. The wrong tier means either overpaying or missing critical capabilities.
This is where working with an experienced IT consultancy in Manchester makes a measurable difference. As an experienced IT company in Manchester, Cloud Geeni delivers IT support and IT services to businesses across Greater Manchester, deploying and managing Microsoft 365 environments through a structured approach, from assessment and licence optimisation through to migration, onboarding, and ongoing security management. The goal is ensuring every tool in the subscription is properly configured, monitored, and aligned to how the business works.
Getting More from What You Already Pay For
If you are already paying for Microsoft 365, you should be confident you are extracting full value from it. Our Manchester-based IT consultancy team offers a free Microsoft 365 review to assess licensing, security configuration, and optimisation opportunities.
Book your free IT strategy session today and ensure your Microsoft environment supports your growth.
